The Amazing Race
Season 34, Episode 1
By Jim Memmott
Munich – And they're off. With more opening day confusion than is normal, the Amazing Race returned to CBS this week
Chief takeaways:
1) Motivational speakers can talk the talk, but sometimes they have difficulty walking the walk;
2) Football’s Rex Ryan (right) has lost weight but gained whiter teeth;
3) The elimination of the “non elimination” episodes is a bad idea.
First, the summary.
Twelve teams started the race in Munich, one more than usual.
As is always the case, the teams brought different backgrounds, different stories to the starting line. There’s a brother team, a dating team, a father/daughter team, a buddy team, a married team, and so on.
Phil Keoghan (left), the Race’s genial host and taskmaster, was there, as always, to get things going. (For the first time ever not in the U.S.)
Right away he introduced a “scramble,” telling the racers they didn’t have to do the required three tasks in any particular order.
Thus, some teams did the beer barrel roll first, others the log saw, maybe others went to the ice-block chop.
Given the triangulation of the scramble, it was difficult, if not impossible, to know who was leading.
Indeed, yours truly was surprised to see the former “Big Brother” contestants, Derek Xiao and Claire Rehfuss (below), hop on the mat first.
Whatever. They seem like nice people, and I certainly wish them well. (Though, really Phil, the prize for first place was only $2,500 each. Chump change.)
In second, newlyweds Glenda and Lumumba Roberts (below).
Third went to Quinton Peron and Mattie Lynch, former Los Angeles Rams cheerleaders.
Given their opening game against the all-conquering Buffalo Bills, I gather the Rams missed Quinton and Mattie on the sidelines. But they’re a terrific addition to the Race.
Skip to the end: Aashta Lal and Nina Duong (below), who are engaged to be married, finished last and were eliminated. Which was wrong.
But because Phil had declared there would be no non-eliminations, he had to send Aashta and Nina home. They didn’t seem to mind, but I did. Bring them back.
Now, about Rex Ryan’s teeth. Given his disastrous stint coaching their team, no Buffalo Bills fan could be happy to see him on the Race.
Still Rex’s white, white teeth stole the show every time he was seen. He was hard not to watch.
And while this fan watched, I realized that Rex may not be all that bad. He’s good with a quip; he’s self-deprecating, and he has at least one good friend, his golf buddy Tim Mann. So go for it, Rex; I’m on your side.
It may just be that the devious Race film editors are setting Dom up to fail, showing all the times she gives herself a pep talk only to break down when things don’t go right. Then again, she’s drama gold, so let’s hope she stays around for a while.
Overheard:
Rex Ryan: This dinosaur is going to devour the competition.
Dom Jones: I’m focusing on why I’m here, who I am, and my power and strength.
Aashta Lai: We’re Asian kids. We’re overachievers. All we do is study._
Aubrey Ares: We have no idea where anyone is.
Marcus Craig: We have to learn how to communicate.
Order of Finish
1. Derek Xiao, Claire Rehfuss (Big Brother graduates)
2. Glenda Roberts, Lumumba Roberts (Newlyweds)
3. Quinton Peron, Mattie Lynch (Former LA Rams cheerleaders)
4. Linton Atkinson, Sharik Atkinson (Father/daughter)
5. Emily Bushnell, Molly Sinert (Long-lost twins)
6. Marcus Craig, Michael Craig (Military brothers)
7. Tim Mann, Rex Ryan (Golf buddies)
8. Abby Garrett, Will Freeman (Childhood sweethearts)
9. Rich Kuo, Dom Jones (Motivational speakers)
10. Luis Colon, Michelle Burgos (Married couple)
11. Aubrey Ares, David Hernandez (Ballroom dancers)
Eliminated:
12. Aashta Lal, Nina Duong (Engaged)
(All photos CBS)
